We theoretically study the band structure, tunneling dynamics, and tunneling probability of tunable spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates under the periodic driving of Raman coupling. The time-independent Floquet Hamiltonian is obtained in the high-frequency approximation. It is found that the periodic driving can effectively tune spin-orbit coupling and nonlinear interaction. The system is mapped to a standard nonlinear two-level model, and the critical condition for the appearance of the loop in energy band structure and the width of the loop are obtained analytically. When the interspecies atomic interaction is equal to the intraspecies atomic interaction, there is no loop. However, when the intraspecies atomic interaction is smaller (larger) than the interspecies atomic interaction, the loop appears in the lower (upper) energy band. In this case, both spin-orbit coupling and Raman coupling will suppress the appearance of loop. In particular, the critical condition for the appearance of loop structure can be controlled by adjusting external driving. We also study the tunneling dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensate with tunable spin-orbit coupling. More importantly, by tuning the periodic driving, the tunneling dynamics of the system and the location of nonlinear Landau-Zener tunneling can be controlled. We also find that the spin components of the system can be reversed. Finally, the Landau-Zener tunneling probability of the system is calculated. The research shows that the periodic driving can effectively change the tunneling probability of the system.
We theoretically study the band structure, tunneling dynamics, and tunneling probability of tunable spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates under the periodic driving of Raman coupling. The time-independent Floquet Hamiltonian is obtained in the high-frequency approximation. It is found that the periodic driving can effectively tune spin-orbit coupling and nonlinear interaction. The system is mapped to a standard nonlinear two-level model, and the critical condition for the appearance of the loop in energy band structure and the width of the loop are obtained analytically. When the interspecies atomic interaction is equal to the intraspecies atomic interaction, there is no loop. However, when the intraspecies atomic interaction is smaller (larger) than the interspecies atomic interaction, the loop appears in the lower (upper) energy band. In this case, both spin-orbit coupling and Raman coupling will suppress the appearance of loop. In particular, the critical condition for the appearance of loop structure can be controlled by adjusting external driving. We also study the tunneling dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensate with tunable spin-orbit coupling. More importantly, by tuning the periodic driving, the tunneling dynamics of the system and the location of nonlinear Landau-Zener tunneling can be controlled. We also find that the spin components of the system can be reversed. Finally, the Landau-Zener tunneling probability of the system is calculated. The research shows that the periodic driving can effectively change the tunneling probability of the system.
We theoretically investigate the energy band structure, nonlinear Landau–Zener tunneling dynamics and tunneling probability of spin-orbit coupled Bose–Einstein condensates in a one-dimensional accelerating optical lattice by using mean-field and two-mode approximation. The critical condition for the appearance of the loop structure is obtained numerically in parameter planes. When the intraspecies atomic interaction is less than the interspecies atomic interaction, the loop only appears in the lower band. In this case, Raman coupling inhibits the appearance of loop, while spin-orbit coupling (SOC) promotes the appearance of loop. If the intraspecies atomic interaction is larger than interspecies atomic interaction, the loop can appear in either the upper band or the lower band. In this case, Raman coupling promotes the loop appearing in the lower band, while SOC suppresses the loop appearing in upper band. Interestingly, when the interspecies atomic interaction is equal to the intraspecies atomic interaction, there is a critical atomic intercation value determined by the optical lattice depth, only when the intraspecies atomic interaction is greater than the critical value, the loop will occur only in lower band. Especially, the emergence of the loop structure destroys the Bloch oscillation of the system and results in the nonlinear Landau–Zener tunneling of the system. Furthermore, the Landau–Zener tunneling probability of the system is calculated, and it is found that the nonlinear Landau–Zener dynamics and the tunneling probability can be manipulated by SOC and Raman coupling.
We theoretically study the ground-state phases and superfluidity of tunable spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) under the periodic driving of Raman coupling. An effective time-independent Floquet Hamiltonian is proposed by using a high-frequency approximation, and we find single-particle dispersion, spin-orbit-coupling, and asymmetrical nonlinear two-body interaction can be modulated effectively by the periodic driving. The critical Raman coupling characterizing the phase transition and relevant physical quantities in three different phases (the stripe phase, plane-wave phase, and zero momentum phase) are obtained analytically. Our results indicate that the boundary of ground-state phases can be controlled and the system will undergo three different phase transitions by adjusting the external driving. Interestingly, we find the contrast of the stripe density can be enhanced by the periodic driving in the stripe phase. We also study the superfluidity of tunable spin-orbit-coupled BECs and find the dynamical instability can be tuned by the periodic driving of Raman coupling. Furthermore, the sound velocity of the ground-state and superfluidity state can be controlled effectively by tuning the periodic driving strength. Our results indicate that the periodic driving of Raman coupling provides a powerful tool to manipulate the ground-state phase transition and dynamical instability of spin-orbit-coupled BECs.
Abstract We theoretically investigate the energy band structure and Josephson dynamics of a spin-orbit coupled Bose–Einstein condensate in a double-well potential. We study the energy band structure and the corresponding tunneling dynamics of the system by properly adjusting the SO coupling, Raman coupling, Zeeman field and atomic interactions. The coupled effects of SO coupling, Raman coupling, Zeeman field and atomic interactions lead to the appearance of complex energy band structure including the loop structure. Particularly, the emergence of the loop structure in energy band also depends on SO coupling, Raman coupling, Zeeman field and atomic interactions. Correspondingly, the Josephson dynamics of the system are strongly related to the energy band structure. Especially, the emergence of the loop structure results in complex tunneling dynamics, including suppression-revival transitions and self-trapping of atoms transfer between two spin states and two wells. This engineering provides a possible means for studying energy level and corresponding dynamics of two-species SO coupled BECs.
Nonlinear Landau-Zener tunneling is an important nonlinear phenomenon. We propose to stimulate the nonlinear tunneling in a spin-orbit-coupled spinor Bose-Einstein condensate. The system provides an experimentally tunable nonlinearity as well as multiple avoided crossings with tunable gap size in nonlinear dispersion relations. The nonlinearity generates tilted cusp and loop structures around the avoided crossings, and the physical consequence of these nonlinear structures is the nonlinear Landau-Zener tunneling. The spin-momentum locking induced by the spin-orbit coupling leads to a time-resolved observation of the nonlinear tunneling by measuring atom populations.
In a recent experiment [Hamner C, et al. 2015 Phys. Rev. Lett. 114 070401 ], spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensates in a translating optical lattice have been successfully prepared into any Bloch band, and directly proved to be the lack of Galilean invariance in the presence of the spin-orbit coupling. The energy band structure of the system becomes complicated because of the lack of Galilean invariance. At present, the energy band structure of the spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensates in optical lattice is still an open issue, especially the theoretical evidence for the in-depth understanding of the competition mechanism among the spin-orbit coupling, the Raman coupling, the optical lattice and the atomic interactions of the nonlinear energy band structure has not been clear yet. In this paper, based on the two-mode approximation and variational analysis, the nonlinear energy band structure and current density of the spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensates in the one-dimensional optical lattice are investigated. We find that when the spin-orbit coupling, the Raman coupling, the optical lattice, and the atomic interactions satisfy certain conditions, a loop structure in the Brillouin zone edge will emerge. The critical condition for the loop structure emerging in the Brillouin zone edge is obtained in a parameter space. The Raman coupling and the optical lattice suppress the emergence of the loop structure, while the spin-orbit coupling and the atomic interactions promote the emerging of the loop structure and make the energy band structure more complex. Interestingly, the atomic interactions can make the loop structure occur at both the higher-lying bands and the lowest energy band. The energy band structure is closely related to the current density of the system. The spin-orbit coupling causes the current density to be strongly asymmetric and leads the current density distributions of different spin states to be separated from each other in the momentum space near the boundary of the Brillouin zone. The optical lattice strength and the Raman coupling can weaken the asymmetry. The appearance of loop structure breaks the Bloch oscillation and gives rise to the Landau-Zener tunneling. The separation of the current density distributions of different spin states in the momentum space means the emergence of the spin exchange dynamics. Our results are beneficial to the in-depth understanding of the nonlinear dynamics of the spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensates in optical lattice.
We study the ground-state phases, the stability phase diagram and collapse dynamics of Bose—Einstein condensates (BECs) with tunable spin—orbit (SO) coupling in the two-dimensional harmonic potential by variational analysis and numerical simulation. Here we propose the theory that the collapse stability and collapse dynamics of BECs in the external trapping potential can be manipulated by the periodic driving of Raman coupling (RC), which can be realized experimentally. Through the high-frequency approximation, an effective time-independent Floquet Hamiltonian with two-body interaction in the harmonic potential is obtained, which results in a tunable SO coupling and a new effective two-body interaction that can be manipulated by the periodic driving strength. Using the variational method, the phase transition boundary and collapse boundary of the system are obtained analytically, where the phase transition between the spin-nonpolarized phase with zero momentum (zero momentum phase) and spin-polarized phase with non-zero momentum (plane wave phase) can be manipulated by the external driving and sensitive to the strong external trapping potential. Particularly, it is revealed that the collapsed BECs can be stabilized by periodic driving of RC, and the mechanism of collapse stability manipulated by periodic driving of RC is clearly revealed. In addition, we find that the collapse velocity and collapse time of the system can be manipulated by periodic driving strength, which also depends on the RC, SO coupling strength and external trapping potential. Finally, the variational approximation is confirmed by numerical simulation of Gross—Pitaevskii equation. Our results show that the periodic driving of RC provides a platform for manipulating the ground-state phases, collapse stability and collapse dynamics of the SO coupled BECs in an external harmonic potential, which can be realized easily in current experiments.